Rob Howe is a type 1 diabetic living in Dallas Texas. Diagnosed on January 1st, 2005 at the age of 16, Rob was the recipient of excellent care from the incredible endocrine staff of
Children's Medical Center of Dallas. They assured him that as long as he took care of his health, he could achieve all the goals he had for his life. After graduating as the Valedictorian of his High School class, Rob went on to receive a full collegiate scholarship to the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs to play basketball, and graduated with honors 4 years later with a Bachelor of Science in Business. Following graduation, Rob started his career in the marketing world at USA Boxing, working through the 2012 London Olympic Games. In the fall of 2013 Rob accepted an offer to play professional basketball for the Washington Generals against the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters on their 2012-13 World Tour and fulfill his lifelong dream of playing pro basketball.

Rob lives life with T1D to the fullest, not only working hard to achieve his dreams but also reaching out to the diabetes community and helping others achieve theirs. Rob exemplifies the Chris Dudley Foundation's motto of "living active with diabetes"! CDF was lucky enough to catch up with Rob to chat about his life with T1D and his current projects - his podcast,
Diabetics Doing Things and his
#OverTheCounterT1D project, exploring the effectiveness of managing T1D without the resources provided by health insurance.

When were you diagnosed with type 1 diabetes?

Rob: I was diagnosed 1/1/2005. It's kind of nice to be diagnosed on a holiday, because it's easier to remember your
diaversary. So every New Year's Day, I know it's been another year with T1D.

What were your first thoughts when diagnosed?

Rob: I was 16, and really just starting to play basketball on a high level. So my first reaction was "Will
this affect my basketball career?" My doctors immediately assured me that every dream I had for my life was still

in reach as long as I took care of my diabetes. It made it pretty easy for me to accept my treatment because all I wanted to do was play well.

Tell us about your time playing college and professional basketball? How did diabetes play a role in this time in your life?

Rob: First of all both experiences were some of the best of my life. Both difficult in their own ways, but pursuing the dream to
play in college and professionally shaped who I am as a person and I wouldn't trade them for the world. There were certainly difficult times with T1D, especially in college, because so much was riding on every game so stress and cortisol were big time factors in my blood sugar, and more often than not the physical demands of playing college ball affected my blood sugars. But I was up front with my coach and my training staff from my first day on campus during my recruiting trip... READ MORE.

Type One Run has started running groups around the world with the goal of improving and enriching the lives of all those touched by Type 1 diabetes through running and community engagement. Type One Run is a recently acquired program of Beyond Type 1. We've partnered with Type One Run to host
Virtual Diabuddies Dashes all over the world! Visit
www.typeonerun.org to find a chapter close to you, or start your own! Be sure to follow @typeonerun on Instagram to stay updated!

We can't wait for CDBC 2018!

"As a camper, CDBC provided me with an experience unparalleled to anything I have ever done before. It gave me a place where I could put away all of my fears and insecurities caused by diabetes and be my true self. It helped me develop as an individual while teaching me lessons not only about diabetes and basketball, but also about relationships and perseverance." - Hannah K., CDBC camper and staff member.

young adults with type 1 diabetes living active lives and following their dreams! Want to participate in WATN? We would love to hear from you at gayle@chrisdudley.org.

LUKE KOPECKY

CDBC camper 8 years; staff 1 year

What is your favorite camp memory?

My favorite camp memory had to be when Terry Porter and Chris Dudley joined the last place game on the last day of camp. It was so much fun playing with ex-NBA players and having Chris Dudley set a screen for me. Best one I ever had haha.

Did you learn anything at camp to improve your diabetes care?

Yes I learned probably the most important lesson which is that it's okay to ask for help and find new ways to take care of yourself. Everyone is different so you won't always have the same solution as someone else.

Do you stay in contact with anyone you met while attending camp?

Yes I stay in touch with a lot of people. Campers, counselors, and coaches. We're all one big family.

Tell us about yourself since your camp days!

Since camp I attended Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN where I received my bachelors in chemical engineering. I played football all four years while I was there. Currently I'm working in Montgomery, AL at a paper mill working as a process engineer. The picture is of me and my family at my graduation this past May.

Do you have any advice for present or future campers?

Be as goofy as possible and work hard to learn something about yourself and how you can manage your diabetes. When you do that, everybody wins.